Demon At My Door

I just got my ARC copy of Michelle Valentine's "Demon At My Door". I am so excited and look forward to giving you a review soon, so stay posted! The book officially releases on Friday, February 15th!

Best Romance

I finished "Fall for Me" by Sydney Landon this morning and started thinking about Romance and since Valentine's Day is this week. I thought I would have a blog entry about it. The book was good, but nothing to write home about. In my opinion, the characters really didn't have the chemistry that Sydney's other 2 books in the series had. Romance really wasn't in the repertoire of this book.
This got me to thinking about the most romantic things that have ever happened to me. One day I came home to Hershey kisses lined up on the floor and they led me down a path to our bedroom. At the end of the path, my hubby said, "I have literally kissed the ground that you walk on!" That had to be the sweetest moment of my life.
Now for some, this might be cheesy or a turn off, but for me I love the things that don't necessarily cost much money, but take time or effort. My hubby has made me a memory jar, cooked meals for me, cleaned for me, helped me in ways to make my life easier, gone shopping with me, done some of my favorite things with me like scrapbooking, and those things have meant more to me than any flower or present ever could.
Now after being together for 13 years, obviously the romance has died in some ways. My hubby used to open the car door for me all the time, but that seemed to stop after a year or two of marriage. Also, the grand gestures used to be unexpected and on a more frequent basis and now they are saved for special occasions. This doesn't mean that the romance is dead, I just sometimes have to look a little harder for it. For example, my hubby made me an omelet on Saturday morning and he did it just because he knows how much I like them. It's the small things that count and matter to me!
What is the most romantic thing to ever happen to you? What is the most romantic thing to ever happen in a book you've read? Do you prefer a traditional Valentine present, or something more unique?

Expiration dating, to enter or not to enter?

     I have a friend that recently gave me the Gilmore Girls on DVD to watch and she said that I would like the series. I am currently on the second season and I do really like the show. It got me to thinking today when the main character broke off their engagement, if that should put a kibosh to the relationship. I normally would think absolutely, but I am constantly reading books where the characters enter into an agreement to date or have sex for a short period of time and the plan is to go their separate ways. However, the romance book never ends up that way, the characters always fall in love and end up with one another in the end. What if this is not realistic? What if the two characters can't get married or something or someone is standing in their way to true happiness? Or maybe they know they don't belong together, but want to enjoy the moment. Do they still enter into the expiration dating agreement? Do you enter into a relationship with someone, even if you know it has no future? Does it depend on the circumstances? In most of the books I read, the man has a phobia of commitment and magically he can't live without the woman and his fears just magically disappear. I think if it is someone like this then, my personal opinion is as Arnold best phrased it, "Hasta la Vista, Baby!" However, maybe this is not how a person should think? I do sometimes think that romance books can give women the wrong idea, because there are some men that are never going to change and women are delusional for thinking that they can just because it happens a lot in a romance book.
     Before I was married, I would say that I was just going to date and have fun, but it was never just that; if I was being honest with myself. I don't know that I am the type to enter into a relationship that has no potential to go anywhere. I would always find myself thinking, what would we do if this got really serious? For example, I am a die hard Democrat and I dated a man in college that was at the Air Force Academy. He and his family were staunch Republicans. I loved and cared for him and was devastated when we ended things, but in the back of my mind I was constantly thinking how would we ever make it with such different beliefs.
     I have been thinking about the character, Lorelia, from the Gilmore Girls. I knew that she would not get married to the man she was engaged to even if they were a cute couple. I just don't think they belong together in the end. Who is to say that just because it doesn't end in marriage or them living happily ever after, that they shouldn't enjoy it while it lasts?
    What are your thoughts? Do you enter relationships like this or have you ever been in a relationship that had an expiration date? I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

I know I am right!

Both of my daughters came home from school today and their teachers reported that they had a rough day today. I have a theory about this. I am getting ready to start my period in the next 48 hours. My cycle is always irregular, but it is due and I am irritable so I know it is coming. I have mentioned to the pediatrician that my two girls seem to get into trouble and seem more irritable at school around the same time that my cycle is. The doctor looked at me like I was crazy and said that could just be a coincidence. In college, my friends and I all seemed to have our cycle at the same time and heard that that can happen when you are close with other females. My kids are entirely too young to start their cycle, but I think when they do it will be during this time. I know I am right about this, even if the pediatrician thinks it is just a coincidence. I guess I will just have to wait and see if I am right. If I am, I feel sorry for my husband!

Sick, but still funny!

Well, my youngest daughter was sick last week. My husband and oldest daughter are sick this week. I am hoping that I won't get sick in the process, because they are already keeping me busy. Anyone who is reading this, I hope you are happy and healthy.
I love my husband very much and even being sick, he can still make me laugh uncontrollably. If you are not interested in sexual humor or too much information about my sex life, then you should stop reading now, as I don't want to offend anyone.
My hubby and I are laying in bed watching TV when my hubby turns to me and says, "You should give me a blow job. You offered last night to go down on me last night, to make me feel better. Then you didn't, and now I feel worse. So, it's all your fault. So now I need you to go down on me." I laughed at his audacity since he basically didn't seem interested when I offered. Then with completely a straight face he says, "Yes, I think it would be good for me. You know suck out the poison like you would do with a snake bite!"
Even sick, my hubby is still funny!

Is this how it is?

     I haven't been posting much of anything, because I haven't felt the need to talk about much and I haven't been reading as much as I seem to be fascinated with Facebook all the time now. I have to learn to step away from the phone or computer, but I feel like I might be missing something important! Which if I am being honest with myself, I know that I am not!
     I am constantly hearing on Facebook and by other authors, how amazing Kelli Maine is. She is the author of "Taken" and she has a new novella coming out in February based on her "Dolls and Doms" series. I have not read her books, because I was on the fence about the dark nature of her plot lines. "Taken" is based upon a billionaire kidnapping a woman and how she comes to fall in love with him. It almost makes me think of raping someone and then they fall in love with that person? The concept is just a little weird for me, but I should not judge, as I have not read the book and I may actually love it if I read it. That being said, I have read one teaser from the "Dolls and Doms" series and it didn't make much sense to me, because I didn't really have the background story and again it screamed dark and possibly the character has Dissociative Identity Disorder (also known as Multiple Personality Disorder)? Which again, I am good with since I am a counselor, but I was taking off my erotic reader hat and putting on my counselor hat and it just wasn't working since I didn't have the full background. I read to escape, not to psychoanalyze. I wanted to give this author a shot and see if I could find a bunch of teasers and maybe start from the beginning. No such luck, I can't find them and it looks as if the author probably has taken them off her blog to get ready to publish the novella.
     However, in the process of looking for teasers from "Dolls and Doms," I came across a post about her characters from "Taken" and what they would look like in 15 years. The man, Merrick, was trying to get him some with his wife, at an inopportune moment I might add, but the wife Rachel, was thinking about kids and emails? How sad is that? I know this happens, but seriously, people wonder why men and women cheat on their spouses. You have to do the work! There have been plenty of times in the last 13 years that I have fallen in and out of love with my husband and days that I just didn't want to have anything to do with him. Those times have been few and far between and we have gone through lulls in our sex life, but for the most part, I consider us lucky and blessed to have one another. Marriage doesn't come easy and life can be draining. Kids swamp us with their needs, but that doesn't mean you don't have to put forth the effort!
     Merrick was trying to be spontaneous and sexy and even though they were interrupted, Rachel could have said, "Save that thought for later?" Women have to stroke the males ego and be sexy, even if that is not how you are feeling at the moment. Couples get what they put in and if you aren't putting in any effort, then that is what you will get in return. I'm dying to know if this is how it is for you or others? I thought about adding to this blog ways to spice up your love life or good mental health options for your relationship, but do people want to read about this?
     Also, if you have any insight about Kelli Maine's writing and want to share your opinion, I would love that too! Please let me know, am I missing out on a great read or should I stay away?

Definition of a Good Teaser!

     Kristen Proby, one of my new favorite authors, released late last night an extra-long excerpt or teaser from her upcoming book "Play with Me." If you haven't checked out her Seattle: With Me series, then you are missing out and after you read this post you should pick up a copy today! The order of the series is "Come Away with Me," Under the Mistletoe With Me," and then "Fight With Me" and they are all excellent reads!
     This particular blog post came about because I decided to tell my husband about Kristen's teaser this morning. My hubby then commented that he would show me a good teaser and decided to demonstrate what a good teaser is by starting to seduce me and then just when things were getting good, he stopped, got up and walked away. He then proceeded to turn his head to look back at me, wink, and then said, "Now that's a good teaser!" He then had the audacity to chuckle!
     So, I just want to let you know that the definition of a good teaser is to leave you SATISFIED, but also leave you wanting more! Kristen Proby, Jenn Foor, Shayne McClendon, Emily Snow, Michelle Valentine, Michelle Leighton, and Katie Ashley are usually phenomenal with giving out good teasers!
Please check out Kristen's teaser at http://www.authorkristenproby.blogspot.com